The first effort of the devil was to sap the foundations of the Savior’s strength with a doubt. The devil whispers to him, “If - if thou be the Son of God.” Faith is the Christian’s strength; he who doubts not staggers not. Unbelief is the source of our chief weakness. As soon as we begin to distrust our feet begin to slide. Hence, Satan, knowing this, injects that cruel and wicked suspicion, “If - if thou be the Son of God.”
Notice the point of attack: it was our Lord’s sonship. Satan knows that if he can make any of us doubt our interest in the Father’s love, doubt our regeneration and adoption, then he will have us very much in his power. How can I pray, “Our Father which art in heaven,” if I do not know him to be my Father? If the dark suspicion crosses my mind that I am no child of his, I cannot say with the prodigal, “I will arise and go unto my Father,” for I do not know that I have a Father to go to. Having a Father, I feel sure that he will pity my infirmities, that he will feel for my wants, redress my wrongs, protect me in the hour of danger, and succor me in the moment of peril; but if, if I have no Father in heaven, if I be not his child, then, miserable orphan! what shall I do - whither shall I flee? Standing on a pinnacle as God’s child I shall stand there erect, though every wind should seek to whirl me from my foothold; but if he be not my Father, and I am upon a pinnacle, then my destruction is inevitable, and my ruin will be swift and total. “If thou be the Son of God.” Oh, dear friends, beware of unbelief...
From a sermon entitled "Temptations on the Pinnacle," delivered May 6, 1866. Image by Sindre under Creative Commons License.
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